March 06, 2006
LeBron shares the love, Cavs upset the Bulls
CHICAGO -- LeBron James had the ball. Ronald Murray had the open look.
So James passed to his teammate, and Murray responded by making a 3-pointer from the right side with 3.9 seconds remaining to lift the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 92-91 upset victory over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night as 4 1/2-point underdogs.
The Cavaliers then held their breath as Andres Nocioni missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer. With that, Cleveland snapped a five-game losing streak, straight up and ATS, after blowing a 25-point lead.
The Cavs continued their under streak however, missing the 193 total by 10 points. Cleveland has played under in six straight games dating back to February 21.
Murray, acquired from Seattle at the trade deadline, scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter.
The winning shot came after Kirk Hinrich went 1-of-2 from the free throw line to give the Bulls a 91-89 lead with 11 seconds left. With James driving toward the basket, Nocioni helped and left Murray - a 20-percent 3-point shooter - open.
``My man came off me to slide over on LeBron,`` Murray said. ``He left me wide open. The look I had felt good, and the shot felt good.``
And James had no qualms about passing out to Murray for that shot.
``It was the right thing to do,`` he said.
Coach Mike Brown agreed.
``Everyone thinks that LeBron has to take that last shot, but he`s a guy who will pass it back to the open guy,`` Brown said. ``He did the right thing. He drove extremely hard to the rim, and they collapsed on him.``
After a timeout, Nocioni was supposed to hand the ball to Ben Gordon, but Eric Snow prevented that. Nocioni had to force a 3 at the buzzer.
``They covered me pretty well, and Nocioni had to take the shot,`` Gordon said.
It was a sour ending for the Bulls.
Down 10, Chicago scored 11 straight points midway through the fourth quarter, tying it at 81 on Hinrich`s 3-pointer and taking a one-point lead on Gordon`s free throw with 3:01 left.
James, who averaged 34.5 points in the first two games against the Bulls, scored 33 - none in the final 7:40. He had 19 at halftime, matching his total the previous night in a loss to Sacramento.
With forward Drew Gooden out with flu-like symptoms, second-year pro Anderson Varejao got the first start of his career and responded with 13 points and six rebounds. But he missed two free throws with 18 seconds left and the Cavaliers down 88-87.
Snow added 14 points and eight assists.
Hinrich had 25 points and nine rebounds for Chicago, two nights after he had 30 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a 111-100 victory over Minnesota.
Luol Deng finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Gordon scored 16.
``We have to lock in better on defense,`` Deng said.
Down 75-60, the Bulls started the fourth quarter with an 11-2 run to make it 77-71.
With the score 81-71, Nocioni`s basket started the 11-point run that gave the Bulls their first lead of the game. Murray stopped it with two foul shots, and the lead went back and forth.
Gordon`s floater gave the Bulls an 88-87 lead with 39 seconds left and Deng hit two free throws to make it a three-point game with 16 remaining. After Murray scored on a drive, the Cavaliers fouled Hinrich with 11 seconds left.
``We can`t come out and have all these lapses,`` Gordon said. ``If they get two, at worst we`re going into overtime. It was just a mental lapse on our part.``
Bulls forward Malik Allen was back in the starting lineup after being taken to a hospital with a sprained neck during the Minnesota game and scored four points in 17 minutes. And Chris Duhon played 17 minutes after leaving that game with a bruised jaw.
Allen said doctors told him he would probably miss a game, but he felt fine after he warmed up during the morning shootaround.
His range of motion is ``a ton better`` than it was on Wednesday.
Allen injured his neck when he rotated to defend the Timberwolves` Rashad McCants on a drive to the basket early in the second quarter. As he fell backward, his head hit teammate Darius Songaila`s leg. Allen was immobilized and carted off on a stretcher.
A few minutes later, Duhon took a shot to the face when he tried to take a charge against Minnesota`s Justin Reed and was done for the night. Duhon was already sore after taking an elbow to the jaw from Gordon in practice on Monday.
Notes: The Bulls have looked into a protective facemask for Duhon, but he didn`t wear one on Thursday. ... The Bulls` 17 points in the first quarter were a season-low. ... Cleveland`s next game is at home Sunday against Chicago. The Bulls visit New York on Friday.
Posted by admin at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2006
Raptors spoil GM Colangelo's first game with 113-111 overtime loss to Hawks
The Toronto Raptors showed a willingness to play hard but lost 113-111 in overtime to the Atlanta Hawks, the first game for Bryan Colangelo's as the team's new president and general manager.
Hired just the day before, Colangelo received an ovation Wednesday when he was shown on the video board standing near the player's entrance where he watched the game. Joe Johnson and Al Harrington each scored 26 points for the Hawks, who also out-rebounded the Raptors 49-36 in front of 15,137 fans at Air Canada Centre.
Atlanta posted its third overtime win in its last four games after blowing a six-point advantage in the final 34 seconds of overtime.
"We got to try and win some of these games in regulation. This overtime thing is getting old," said Johnson, whose club is 4-1 in overtime and 19-37 overall.
Harrington fouled out in overtime, but Johnson made a key jumper with 1:04 left.
Harrington will take any victory - no matter how long it takes.
"We've won our last three that way. We'll take 26 more like that as long we win," Harrington said. "We never get discourage. We just play through our mistakes and that's the biggest difference."
Chris Bosh had 27 points and Charlie Villanueva added 25 for the Raptors, who have lost five straight.
"I know they were hungry and that it would be a great game - they wanted it more than us," said Villanueva about the Raptors failed attempt to sweep the four-game series with the Hawks
Colangelo, last year's NBA Executive of the Year with the Phoenix Suns, said on Tuesday that everyone is starting from a clean slate and changes, if any, within the coaching or player ranks will not be immediate.
"I like playing for coach," said Mo Peterson in support of Raptors coach Sam Mitchell. "And I'm pretty sure if you go around this locker room they'll tell you they like playing for him."
Notes: Bosh all but confirmed he's one of 22 players invited to the U.S. national team's training camp this summer. "I expect to be there," Bosh said. ... Toronto centre Antonio Davis missed the game with a strained back. He was fouled on a drive and fell hard in Monday's game at Miami . . . Toronto is 1-6 in overtime games this season . . . Four Raptors scored 20-plus for second time in three games. That feat had never been accomplished before Saturday's game in Minnesota.
Posted by admin at 02:40 PM | Comments (0)
February 23, 2006
March Madness comes early for local teams
The regular-season conference championships won last week by the the Aquinas and Calvin men's teams, and the Aquinas and Hope women's squads, were considered major accomplishments.
This week those achievements won't even make the four favorites in their respective Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association and Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournaments.
That includes Hope, which is 24-1 overall, ranked fourth on the latest NCAA Division III coaches poll, and rolled through the MIAA regular season with a 16-0 mark.
"Obviously, everyone around this area wants to point toward a Calvin-Hope showdown in Saturday's championship game, but I think there's five teams that can win our tournament," said Hope coach Brian Morehouse. "And we've stumbled as a favorite the last two years, which cost us a chance to go to the (Division III) tournament, so we have a monkey on our back because of that."
The Calvin women (21-3) are 14th in Division III. The Knights lost just twice in conference competition, as both setbacks came against Hope.
According to both Morehouse and Calvin coach John Ross, it's imperative to win the league tournament crown to get an automatic bid to the Division III tournament, rather than hope for an at-large berth.
No guarantees
"We can't rely on anyone but ourselves to make sure we get back to the national tournament," said Ross, whose Knights upset favored Albion College in last season's league title game, then reached the Elite Eight in the national tournament.
That is especially true with the WHAC tournaments.
Over the years, the WHAC men traditionally have had their league tournament champion and one or two at-large teams head to the NAIA II tourney.
Posted by admin at 03:12 PM | Comments (0)
December 27, 2005
Kwame barely worth a boo
WASHINGTON -- They booed him upon his return to MCI Center, booed him when he walked on the floor, booed him the first time he touched the ball. Kwame Brown expected as much.
Yet as the game wore on, the boos gave way to scattered chants, then to random jeers, adding up to ... well, no more heckling than Kobe Bryant prompted, and this on a night when half the fans in the building seemed to be sporting purple and gold jerseys.
As usual, the Washington Wizards' prodigal No. 1 wasn't really worth the sustained effort. Or the sustained bile.
"That was weak," Brown said of the catcalls that came his way during last night's 94-91 Wizards victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. "They were worse than that when I was here."
As for Brown's performance? Also weak. And as bad as when he was here. The top pick in the 2001 NBA draft, Brown left Washington for Los Angeles following four ineffective, injury-riddled seasons that culminated with a suspension during last year's playoffs.
In tallying five points and seven rebounds in just under 20 minutes of action, his first road game against his former team was much like his tenure in the nation's capital -- occasionally tantalizing, often frustrating, curiously feeble for a 7-footer whose ripped, intimidating physique wouldn't be out of place on the side of an ancient Grecian urn.
To put things another way: Brown was an inept franchise savior. Given a second chance to inspire some local passion, he made for an equally lame villain.
Fans hissed when Brown shot free throws. They cheered when he missed. They hollered for Wizards forward Etan Thomas to post Brown in the first quarter, delighting in each of Brown's four fouls. Mostly, though, they had little to scream about, for good or ill.
Brown simply didn't give them a decent opportunity.
Of course, this was always Brown's problem with the Wizards: Put him in a basketball uniform and he's impossible to ignore; put him in a professional game and he's anything but, a 23-year-old player more likely to make a momentum-squelching gaffe than to throw down a ferocious drunk. That Brown spent much of the final six minutes sitting next to Brian Shaw on the Lakers' bench -- and was outhustled by Gilbert Arenas for a crucial late-game rebound -- said even more about his maddening passivity and general cluelessness than does his paltry season averages of 5.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Really, where's the fun in jeering a guy who can't play?
You [stink]! a few fans yelled at Brown.
No means no! a few more screamed at Bryant, who finished with 31 points.
Indeed, Brown's duly harsh, yet hardly nasty reception was easy to understand. This wasn't Shaq and Kobe, Johnny Damon and the Boston Red Sox, the dissolution of a passionate marriage. To the contrary, this was more like an amicable divorce -- ending badly, to be sure, but only following a tepid relationship that rarely showed signs of genuine promise.
When Brown essentially quit on Washington during its playoff series against Chicago last spring -- later offering a silly, convoluted excuse about not wanting to physically assault Arenas -- his Wizards teammates could have publicly thrown him under the bus.
Instead, they collectively rolled their eyes.
Believe it or not, Brown remains well-liked in Washington's locker room. Why not? Like a foolish kid brother, he's mostly harmless, all bark and scant bite.
On one first half play, Brown made a deft pirouette around Washington's Calvin Booth, calling for a lob pass. The ball hit him in the hand, then bounced off his forehead, Jose Canseco-style, before spinning out of bounds. Afterward, Brown appeared to motion to the stands, egging on jeers. Maybe he was just rubbing his forehead.
Either way, it was classic Kwame.
Besides, the Wizards got the better of the deal that sent Brown west, picking up Caron Butler -- a hard-nosed competitor who is admirably filling in for departed star Larry Hughes and finished with 16 points last night, including a late-game three-pointer that gave Washington a 94-88 lead.
The crowd erupted after Butler's shot, their cheers louder than any of the boos directed at Brown, past or present.
"They should be cheering," Brown said after the game. "They booed me when I was here. They should be cheering now that I'm gone. I'm confused."
No need. Washington fans booed Kwame Brown last night. Early in the third quarter, they also booed a guy who missed a promotional half-court shot -- just about as vociferously, and for more or less the same reason.
Posted by admin at 03:16 PM | Comments (0)
December 20, 2005
Spurs hand Knicks their seventh straight loss
Already a really good team, the Spurs came to New York as an angry one. The Knicks never had a chance.
Michael Finley scored 19 points and San Antonio shot 56 percent Wednesday night in its 109-96 victory over New York, which has lost seven straight games.
The Spurs had lost two in a row and were coming off a 109-107 overtime loss at Milwaukee on Tuesday night on Andrew Bogut’s basket at the buzzer.
“We responded well from a real tough loss last night,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “That’s what a coach always looks for. It was great to come out angry enough to try to put last night out of their heads. We played well most of the night, but a lot of the fuel for that came from last night.”
Tony Parker added 18 points and 10 assists as the Spurs’ starting guards combined to make 15 of 22 shots against the Knicks’ dismal perimeter defense. Finley was 8-of-12 in another start in place of Manu Ginobili, and Parker was 7-for-10.
The guards were so good that the Spurs didn’t even need much from Tim Duncan, who played only 22 minutes and scored 13 points.
“We attack the game in many different ways,” Duncan said. “Some nights it’s interior, but a lot of it is our pick-and-roll and finding our shooters. If they’re going to play the pick-and-roll a certain way or double team in the post, our shooters are going to have wide-open shots, and we have some of the best in the league.”
Posted by admin at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2005
Stan steps down Stan steps down
Stan Van Gundy's out as Heat coach, and Pat Riley seems poised to return to the bench. All this just six months after Van Gundy -- Riley's hand-picked successor in '03 -- led Miami to within a victory of the NBA Finals.
MIAMI -- Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy resigned Monday, citing family reasons.
A team official speaking on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been made public told the Associated Press that Van Gundy's resignation would be announced later Monday.
Van Gundy led the team to the best record in the NBA's Eastern Conference last season.
It was not immediately clear who would replace him, but indications were that team president and former Heat coach Pat Riley, who chose Van Gundy as his successor a little more than two years ago, could return to the sideline.
Posted by admin at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)
November 22, 2005
Bosh almighty: Raptors finally win a game
Toronto 107, Miami 94
Life is a lot more enjoyable for the Toronto Raptors now that they've finally won a game.
"Every one likes each other again," said a chuckling Mike James after the Raptors beat the first-place Miami Heat 107-94 on Sunday to end Toronto's longest losing streak since 2003.
Chris Bosh had a season-high 27 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Raptors, who opened the season 0-9 -- the worst start in their 11-year history. James added 25 points for Toronto.
Dwyane Wade had 33 points, nine assists and eight rebounds for the Heat, who were missing an injured Shaquille O'Neal.
James and Bosh both said they'll savor the win as they head out west four a four-game trip.
"The mood always lightens after a win. People are nicer, the food tastes better, practice is a lot more fun," Bosh said.
The Raptors went on an 18-2 run late in the fourth to seal the victory, ending their longest losing streak since a 12-game skid from Dec. 18, 2002-Jan. 10, 2003.
Toronto's win leaves the Atlanta Hawks as the NBA's only winless team.
"I'm happy for those guys. Being the coach is one thing, but when you have to go out there in front of 19,000 people and prove yourself every night, the way the season started, that's where the focal point is," Toronto coach Sam Mitchell said. "I get mine after the game, but during the game, those guys have to out there and be the focal point and hear the cheers and the boos."
Toronto outrebounded Miami 47-39, one of the few times the Raptors have done that this season.
"They wanted to win a lot more than we did," Miami coach Stan Van Gundy said. "They had a lot more resolve to try to get the job done down the stretch and we were hoping we would win, we were hoping some shots went in but we didn't dig down and make any possession tough on them at the end."
Wade scored six straight points and assisted on Jason Kapono's open 3-pointer, giving Miami a 86-80 lead with six minutes left.
Toronto followed with its decisive run: Bosh made layup, Rose made an open 3-pointer and Bosh made another layup, giving Toronto a 87-86 lead -- their first of the game.
Rookie Charlie Villanueva followed with a layup, Mike James made a layup and Villanueva made another layup to give the Raptors a 93-88 lead with 2:27 left.
James followed with a 3-pointer and Bosh made a short jumper off the glass to make it 98-88 with less than two minutes left.
"We knew they were going to make a run, but we didn't know we were going to go cold like we did and not execute," Miami's Gary Payton said. "We were really executing well until the end, then we stopped playing defense and let them do what they wanted."
Toronto got off to another slow start in the first quarter, missing 16 of their first 19 shots from the field and trailing by 11 after one.
Antoine Walker made consecutive 3-pointers to give Miami a 15-point lead in the second quarter -- their biggest lead of the game.
Toronto cut the lead to five by the end of the half and Morris Peterson's 3-pointer early in the second half tied it at 50.
Posted by admin at 03:14 PM | Comments (0)
November 05, 2005
NBA roundup: Sunday's action on the boards
(CP) - The New York Knicks are still winless this season and coach Larry Brown is trying everything he can to change things around.
Desperate for a win, Brown tinkered with the New York lineup, playing rookies David Lee, Channing Frye and Nate Robinson together, and it seemed to spark the Knicks. However, Golden State proved to be too much for New York, as Jason Richardson had 24 points to lead the Warriors to an 83-81 victory on Sunday. "I won't play the rookies all the time, but they earned it," Brown said. "It's going to take some time. We're trying to figure out who can play and who can help us."
Lee, who saw his first action of the season after being on the inactive list the first two games, had seven points during a 16-6 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth.
Desperate for a win, Brown tinkered with the New York lineup, playing rookies David Lee, Channing Frye and Nate Robinson together, and it seemed to spark the Knicks. However, Golden State proved to be too much for New York, as Jason Richardson had 24 points to lead the Warriors to an 83-81 victory on Sunday. "I won't play the rookies all the time, but they earned it," Brown said. "It's going to take some time. We're trying to figure out who can play and who can help us."
Lee, who saw his first action of the season after being on the inactive list the first two games, had seven points during a 16-6 run that spanned the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth.
"It felt good to be in there," said Lee, who was constantly hustling to keep balls alive and finished with 10 rebounds. "They recognize I'm a hard worker and that's what I'm going to continue to do every time I step onto a floor."
Golden State guard Baron Davis returned to the starting lineup after missing Friday's loss to Utah with a strained hamstring. He had 16 points and nine assists.
"I tried not to push off too hard on it," Davis said.
Troy Murphy added 17 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors (2-1).
Stephon Marbury led New York (0-3) with 15 points and six assists. Frye had 12 points and Eddy Curry and Trevor Ariza each added 11.
Elsewhere in the NBA on Sunday, it was: Sacramento 118, Phoenix 117; and L.A. Lakers 112, Denver 92.
At New York, Curry scored eight in the first quarter as the Knicks kept trying to give him the ball in the post. He got into foul trouble again, and did not return after picking up his fourth foul with 3:16 left in the third quarter.
"When he gets into a little better shape and stays out of foul trouble, he'll stay in the game for longer stretches," Brown said.
With Golden State trailing 74-73 with 5:46 left in the game, Richardson hit a three-pointer as the shot clock expired to give the Warriors the lead for good. Davis added a layup to give the Warriors a four-point lead. He and Richardson combined to hit five of eight free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
"It's the first road win of the season and when you play at the Garden, you always want to win," Richardson said.
Quentin Richardson was scoreless for New York until the final minute, when he hit a layup and jumper at the buzzer for the final margin.
Davis was only 5-for-17 from the field, but helped Golden State build a 46-39 halftime lead by hitting three three-pointers.
"He's a steadying influence," Golden State coach Mike Montgomery said. "He just keeps the ball in his hands and guys know that he'll be able to get them the ball."
Marbury had a tough first half and didn't hit his first shot until 5:53 left in the second quarter.
The Warriors led 24-20 after the first quarter as Jason Richardson had 10 points and Murphy added eight.
Kings 118, Suns 117
At Phoenix, Shareef Abdur-Rahim scored Sacramento's final six points and sealed the victory with a blocked shot in the final seconds as the Kings beat the Suns.
Peja Stojakovic had 33 points to lead the Kings (1-2). Abdur-Rahim had 23 and 12 rebounds and Brad Miller added 17 and 10. Mike Bibby had his best game of the young season with 19 points and Bonzi Wells scored 16.
Barbosa led eight double-figure scorers for the Suns (2-2) with 23. Victoria's Steve Nash had 18 points and 13 assists, and Shawn Marion had 16 points and 14 rebounds.
Lakers 112, Nuggets 92
At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 12 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter and the Lakers pulled away to beat Denver.
The game was a rematch of the season-opener four days earlier in Denver, which the Lakers won 99-97 on Bryant's 20-foot jumper with 0.6 seconds remaining in overtime. Bryant scored 33 points in that game and 39 in a 122-112 loss to Phoenix the following night.
Lamar Odom added 20 and eight rebounds for the Lakers on his 26th birthday. Chris Mihm had 20 points and 13 rebounds and Bryant also had eight rebounds and five assists.
Posted by admin at 02:29 PM | Comments (0)
October 30, 2005
Basketball transactions
Movements in the world of basketball Thursday:
National Basketball Association
NBA-Suspended Utah C Robert Whaley two games without pay for punching Los Angeles C Adam Parada in an Oct. 25 game.
Movements in the world of basketball Thursday:
National Basketball Association
NBA-Suspended Utah C Robert Whaley two games without pay for punching Los Angeles C Adam Parada in an Oct. 25 game.
ATLANTA HAWKS-Waived G Anthony Grundy and F Ajani Williams.
BOSTON CELTICS-Waived C Curtis Borchardt.
CHARLOTTE BOBCATS-Release F Antonio Meeking.
CHICAGO BULLS-Waived F Randy Holcomb.
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS-Waived C Deji Akindele, F Justin Davis and G Ray Young.
INDIANA PACERS-Waived F Damone Brown and G Jimmie Hunter.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS-Waived G Tony Bobbitt and C Adam Parada.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS-Waived G Andre Barrett and F Tommy Smith.
MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES-Waived G Lionel Chalmers, G John Lucas and F Ryan Humphrey.
NEW JERSEY NETS-Waived G Derrick Zimmerman.
NEW ORLEANS HORNETS-Waived G Alex Garcia.
PHOENIX SUNS-Exercised their option on the contracts of G Leandro Barbosa and G Boris Diaw. Waived G Anthony Lever-Pedroza.
TORONTO RAPTORS-Released G Corey Williams and C Toree Morris.
UTAH JAZZ-Waived C James Lang and F Spencer Nelson.
WASHINGTON WIZARDS-Exercised their option on the contract of G-F Jarvis Hayes, for the 2006-07 season. Released F Hiram Fuller and G Billy Thomas.
American Basketball Association
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA LEGENDS-Signed G LaMarque Ward.
Continental Basketball Association
CBA-Named Dennis Truax director of operations, effective Nov. 1.
Posted by admin at 03:26 PM | Comments (0)
October 14, 2005
Basketball transactions
Movements in the world of basketball Monday:
National Basketball Association
CHICAGO BULLS-Re-signed G Jannero Pargo. Waived G Omar Cook.
SACRAMENTO KINGS-Released C Anwar Ferguson and F Dan Langhi.
Posted by admin at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
October 12, 2005
Miami tips off pre-season with 103-101 win over NBA champion Spurs
Miami tips off pre-season with 103-101 win over NBA champion Spurs.
Miami opened the pre-season by beating the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 103-101 in a game added to the schedule to benefit victims of hurricane Katrina. A cheque for $1.1 million US was presented at halftime to the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and Feed the Poor.
"It's great to be able to do something for people," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said.
The game drew a capacity crowd of 19,600, with many tickets donated, and the teams gave fans what they came to see: dunks by Shaquille O'Neal, breakneck drives by Dwyane Wade and plenty of firepower from the Spurs.
Miami opened the pre-season by beating the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 103-101 in a game added to the schedule to benefit victims of hurricane Katrina. A cheque for $1.1 million US was presented at halftime to the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, the Salvation Army and Feed the Poor.
"It's great to be able to do something for people," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said.
The game drew a capacity crowd of 19,600, with many tickets donated, and the teams gave fans what they came to see: dunks by Shaquille O'Neal, breakneck drives by Dwyane Wade and plenty of firepower from the Spurs.
Following a timeout with 2.4 seconds left, Heat rookie Kevin Braswell hit a layup for the winning score.
"On the bench Shaq said, 'The ball's coming to you,"' Braswell said. "With all the people in the stands, it felt great."
As officials reviewed a TV replay to make sure Braswell beat the buzzer, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich urged them to let the basket stand.
"It was a great night," Popovich said. "It was a win-win for everybody. It was really great for the people who were so unfortunate during the hurricane."
While San Antonio's lineup was unchanged from the end of last season, the game marked the debut of a revamped lineup by the Heat, who acquired three new starters after losing in the Eastern Conference final last season.
"The champions, and those who would be champions," said one spectator, Hall of Famer Julius Erving.
Wade's daredevil acrobatics, Tim Duncan's shooting touch and Alonzo Mourning's scowl were all in mid-season form. Perhaps the biggest surprise: O'Neal made his first three free throws, one a bank shot.
Despite only a week of practice and a steady stream of substitutions, both teams showed considerable offensive flair and shot better than 50 per cent.
Duncan scored 16 points, all in the first half, and added 10 rebounds in 24 minutes. Manu Ginobili had 13 points in 16 minutes.
"It felt like yesterday we were playing in the Finals," Ginobili said. "I didn't think it was so long ago. We had all the plays fresh in our minds."
Michael Finley, who spurned the Heat for the Spurs this off-season, made three of four shots.
Wade took several hard spills to earn his 18 points. He sank a 40-foot runner that banked in as the buzzer sounded to end the first half.
O'Neal had 17 points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes. New teammate Antoine Walker drove almost the entire length of the court for one layup and finished with 20 points and five steals.
"It's going to take some time to get used to each other," O'Neal said. "But I liked what I saw out there with the guys' intensity and moving the ball and playing together. That's what it takes to get it done."
Posted by admin at 04:08 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2005
Player Movement 2005
Just as movement seemed to be slowing, a number of big names made big decisions in recent weeks. Former Dallas guard Michael Finley, waived under the amnesty clause, choose San Antonio as his suitor after a brief courtship with Miami and Phoenix. San Antonio also added guard Nick Van Exel and re-signed center Sean Marks. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls re-signed restricted free agent Tyson Chandler to a multi-year agreement and inked Malik Allen to be his backup.
Houston agreed to an extension with Yao Ming and made another significant transaction by signing former Blazers guard Derek Anderson to a deal. The Nuggets welcomed former Memphis point guard Earl Watson.
Just as movement seemed to be slowing, a number of big names made big decisions in recent weeks. Former Dallas guard Michael Finley, waived under the amnesty clause, choose San Antonio as his suitor after a brief courtship with Miami and Phoenix. San Antonio also added guard Nick Van Exel and re-signed center Sean Marks. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls re-signed restricted free agent Tyson Chandler to a multi-year agreement and inked Malik Allen to be his backup.
Houston agreed to an extension with Yao Ming and made another significant transaction by signing former Blazers guard Derek Anderson to a deal. The Nuggets welcomed former Memphis point guard Earl Watson.
Former Pacers forward James Jones is also changing squads -- he'll go to Phoenix in a sign-and-trade. Other less heralded players making news included the signings of Calvin Booth (Washington), Maurice Evans (Detroit), Devin Brown (Utah), Milt Palacio (Utah) and Linton Johnson (New Jersey).
Free agents re-signing with their own teams included Vitaly Potapenko (Seattle), Matt Bonner (Toronto), Eddie Griffin (Minnesota) and Othella Harrington (Chicago). The SuperSonics matched Minnesota's offer for restricted free agent Damien Wilkins.
The prior week, the long-anticipated Joe Johnson trade was finally consummated. The former Suns swingman goes to the Hawks in exchange for Boris Diaw and two conditional first round picks. The deal was originally reported Aug. 1 but was held up because of an ownership dispute that's since been resolved. Meanwhile in Dallas, the Mavericks signed Doug Christie and DeSagana Diop, and in Charlotte, the Bobcats re-signed Brevin Knight.
The revamped Heat roster got another weapon when it was announced Alonzo Mourning will return to Miami. The franchise picked up the option on his contract when Mourning expressed his desire to play another season of basketball. On Thursday, Phoenix signed forward Brian Grant, waived by the Lakers under the amnesty clause, and former Magic center Pat Burke.
Amnesty Action
The NBA's deadline for teams to take advantage of the NBA's amnesty clause -- a one-time provision provided by the new Collective Bargaining Agreement allowing teams to waive a player and not have that player's contract count against the luxury tax -- came Monday, Aug. 15. In total, 18 players were waived under the amnesty clause.
The New York Knicks shocked observers by electing to waive forward Jerome Williams instead of guard Allan Houston, who was widely believed to be the most likely victim of the clause. Two days later, Williams announced his retirement. Indiana Pacers guard Reggie Miller, who also retired this summer, was waived as well. Dallas let Michael Finley go just before the midnight ET deadline after failing to trade him.
Other players waived under the clause included Doug Christie (Orlando), Fred Hoiberg (Minnesota), Ron Mercer (New Jersey), Clarence Weatherspoon (Houston) and Calvin Booth (Milwaukee).
Earlier in the day, the Chicago Bulls matched the offer sheet presented by Toronto to restricted free agent Chris Duhon, enabling GM John Paxson to keep the Duke grad in the Windy City.
Week Two closes
On Saturday, the Bucks re-signed Michael Redd, ending the free agent shooting guard's flirtations with several other teams who were eager to sign a proven scorer with exceptional shooting range. And, in a Friday night trade, the L.A. Clippers gained experience with the acquisition of Sam Cassell. The point guard came with a lottery-protected first-round pick; in exchange, Minnesota received guard tandem Marko Jaric (whom the Clips re-signed) and Lionel Chalmers.
Just hours earlier, the offseason odyssey of Shareef Abdur-Rahim reached a conclusion as the free agent forward stayed on the West Coast by inking a deal with Sacramento.
The Kings' signing comes three days after New Jersey rescinded its Aug. 2 trade with Portland for Abdur-Rahim. The Nets, however, made other waves, acquiring center Marc Jackscon from Philadelphia on Tuesday and signing free agent guard Jeff McInnis on Thursday.
Also on Thursday, Indiana signed former University of Maryland star Sarunas Jasikevicius. The Lithuanian has been compared favorably to San Antonio's Manu Ginobili. Another guard, Doug Christie, was waived by the Magic, making the defensive stalwart the third player to be released under the new Collective Bargaining Agreement's amnesty clause. The Lakers used the rule to release Brian Grant on Wednesday.
On Monday, Clippers free agent Bobby Simmons, the NBA's 2004-05 Most Improved Player Award, signed a multiyear agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks..
Busy first week
The Simmons signing followed an active first week of official player movement. On Friday, Aug. 5, Memphis landed Damon Stoudamire and Seattle inked Rick Brunson. Re-signings included Michael Ruffin in Washington, Toni Kukoc in Milwaukee and Ryan Bowen in Houston. Aug. 4 action saw the Clippers and Nets re-sign Zeljko Rebraca and Clifford Robinson, respectively, while Juan Dixon joined the Trail Blazers.
Aug. 3 -- Day 2 of Player Movement -- featured star power in the form of arguably the biggest free agent prize this offseason. Ray Allen, a five-time All-Star, re-signed with Seattle after leading the Sonics to a 50-win season and the Western Conference Semifinals last campaign.
Also, the the Clippers introduced clutch-shooting Cuttino Mobley, the Suns welcomed guard Raja Bell, and the Magic bolstered their depth at point with Keyon Dooling.
Meanwhile, Portland took advantage of the CBA's amnesty option and released Derek Anderson. They also chose not to retain Nick Van Exel for the last non-guaranteed year of his contract. The Atlanta Hawks also signed Bucks restricted free agent pivot Zaza Pachulia to an offer sheet (the signing became official Aug. 11 after Milwaukee chose not to match).
Record-breaking trade
Official movement began Tuesday, Aug. 2, with the largest trade in NBA history headlining the day. An incredible 13 players were moved by five different teams in the historic deal. The Memphis Grizzlies acquired guard Eddie Jones from the Miami Heat and guard Raul Lopez from the Utah Jazz while sending guards Jason Williams, Andre Emmett and swingman James Posey to Miami and trading newly-acquired center Greg Ostertag to Utah.
Miami sent Rasual Butler to New Orleans and traded Qyntel Woods, two second round draft picks and the draft rights to Albert Miralles to the Boston Celtics. Utah traded Curtis Borchardt to the Celtics and Kirk Snyder to the New Orleans Hornets. The Celtics sent Antoine Walker to Miami and the Hornets traded the draft rights to Roberto Duenas to Miami.
The biggest name involved in Tuesday's festivities was Miami center Shaquille O'Neal in an unrelated transaction. The Heat secured the future Hall-of-Famer's services for the long haul by signing him to a multi-year extension. The Heat also re-signed restricted free agent forward Udonis Haslem.
Getting the ball rolling with the first news of the day was Memphis, who announced they were sending guard Bonzi Wells to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for center Greg Ostertag and guard Bobby Jackson.
In L.A., swingman Caron Butler and guard Chucky Atkins were traded from the Lakers in exchange for Wizards forward Kwame Brown and guard Laron Profit. Washington also announced the signing of guard Antonio Daniels.
The Cleveland Cavaliers reached contract agreements with Washington free agent guard Larry Hughes and Toronto free agent forward Donyell Marshall in addition to re-signing All-Star center Zydrunas Ilgauskas.
The Philadelphia 76ers officially agreed to contracts with their own free agents in center Samuel Dalembert and sharpshooter Kyle Korver. Willie Green, whom published reports indicated would also be re-signing in Philly, injured his knee playing basketball and his situation is held up for a later date pending the outcome of his medical situation.
The San Antonio Spurs re-signed forward Robert Horry, who played a key role in the Spurs 2004-05 title run. Additionally, San Antonio added 6-10 center Fabricio Oberto, a teammate of Manu Ginobili on Argentina’s national team.
The Houston Rockets announced the acquisition of Memphis free agent forward Stromile Swift at a press conference. The New York Knicks officially added Seattle free agent big man Jerome James to their roster. The Boston Celtics signed Nets free agent forward Brian Scalabrine.
The New Orleans Hornets officially signed guard Arvydas Macijauskas and returning forward Bostjan Nachbar.
The Charlotte Bobcats announced a trade for Phoenix Suns center Jake Voskuhl in exchange for a conditional 2007 second round draft pick. They also sent guard Jason Hart to the Sacramento Kings for a future second-round pick.
THE OFFSEASON
NBA Coaching Movement
NBA Draft 2005
Six-Year CBA Ratified and Signed
2005 Award Winners
2005 Fan Awards Results
ANALYSIS
Atlanta: Boys Among Men
Cleveland: Great Lakes-pectations
Dallas: Life After Mike
Houston: A Swift Rocket Booster
LA Lakers: A Hollywood Makeover
Memphis: How the West Has Done
Miami: A Miami Makeover
Milwaukee: What’s luck got to do with it?
New Jersey: Three Seek Help at 4 and 5
Phoenix: Getting Defensive
Philadelphia: Sixers Bulk Up On Youth
Portland: Investing in Futures
Sacramento: Western Gunslinger
Seattle: On a Wing and a Prayer
Washington: No Hughes, No Problem
ENTER TO WIN
Enter the Follow the Free Agents Sweeps and you could win a 2005-06 NBA League Pass Subscription and catch the action all season long. Enter now.
PLAYER MOVEMENT
East: Atlantic | Central | Southeast
West: Northwest | Pacific | Southwest
Current month transactions
Free Agents By: Name | Team
'NET REPORTS
EDDY CURRY
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Bulls GM John Paxson and free agent Eddy Curry met face-to-face Aug. 8 to discuss Chicago's reluctance to offer a long-term deal.
OFFICIAL MOVEMENT
Timberwolves.com: A. Carter re-signed
UtahJazz.com: Spurs decline to match Brown offer
Cavaliers.com: D. Jones signed
Rockets.com: Baxter inked
NJNets.com: Padgett and Murray added
Nuggets.com: Watson welcomed
WashingtonWizards.com: Booth returns
Spurs.com: Marks re-signed
Pistons.com: M. Evans introduced
Bulls.com: M. Allen signed
Spurs.com: Finley inked
Bulls.com: Chandler locked up
Rockets.com: Yao extended
NJNets.com: L. Johnson added
UtahJazz.com: Palacio signed
SuperSonics.com: M. Moore inked
BobcatsBasketball.com: Carroll re-signed
Hawks.com: Lue, Edwards sign
Bucks.com: E. Johnson returns
Spurs.com: Van Exel welcomed
Pistons.com: D. Davis added
Rockets.com: Mutumbo re-signed
Lakers.com: McKie introduced
Suns.com: J. Jones acquired
Bulls.com: Harrington brought back
SuperSonics.com: Wilkins offer matched
Rockets.com: D. Anderson welcomed
SuperSonics.com: Potapenko returns
Timberwolves.com: Griffin re-signed
OrlandoMagic.com: Boumtje-Boumtje added
Raptors.com: Bonner back
Bobcatsbasketball.com: Knight returns
DallasMavericks.com: Diop signs
DallasMavericks.com: Christie added
Hawks.com: J. Johnson acquired
Timberwolves.com: Wilkins signs
Suns.com: P. Burke signed
Suns.com: B. Grant acquired
Bucks.com: C. Bell introduced
Bulls.com: Duhon offer matched
Bucks.com: Redd re-signed
Bucks.com: Gadzuric returns
SacramentoKings.com: Abdur-Rahim signs
Clippers.com: Cassell added
Timberwolves.com: Jaric acquired
Sixers.com: McKie waived
Sixers.com: Hunter recruited
Hawks.com: Pachulia welcomed
Rockets.com: Barry re-signed
OrlandoMagic: Christie waived
Lakers.com: B. Grant released
NJNets.com: McInnis added
Pacers.com: Jasikevicius signs
NJNets.com: M. Jackson acquired
Bucks.com: Simmons introduced
SuperSonics.com: Allen re-signs
Suns.com: Club welcomes C. Bell
Hornets.com: C. Anderson soars back
Clippers.com: Rebraca re-upped
NJNets.com: C. Robinson returns
WashingtonWizards.com: Ruffin back
Bucks.com: Kukoc re-signs
SuperSonics.com: Brunson introduced
Rockets.com: R. Bowen agree to deal
Grizzlies.com: D. Stoudamire inks deal
Blazers.com: Dixon, C. Smith choose Portland
Clippers.com: Mobley goes to L.A.
OrlandoMagic.com: Dooling signs
Blazers.com: D. Anderson let go
Blazers.com: Van Exel released
Hawks.com: Pachulia signs offer sheet
Grizzlies.com: Record five team trade announced
Heat.com: Shaq agrees to extension
Cavaliers.com: Hughes, Ilgauskas and Marshall sign
Spurs.com: Horry agrees to deal
Spurs.com: Oberto joins Spurs
Heat.com: Haslem re-signs
Kings.com: Hart acquired in trade
Grizzlies.com: Wells traded for B. Jackson, Ostertag
Rockets.com: Swift comes to Houston
Lakers.com: Butler traded for K. Brown
WashingtonWizards.com: A. Daniels signs
Knicks.com: J. James goes to Big Apple
Celtics.com: Scalabrine inks deal
Hornets.com: Macijauskas, Nachbar sign
Posted by admin at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)
September 02, 2005
shedules NBA
Posted by admin at 04:10 PM | Comments (0)
August 15, 2005
Canada earns bronze at U21 basketball championship with win over Australia
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (CP) - Vancouver's Levon Kendall scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Canada 79-74 over Australia for third place in basketball's under-21 world championship on Sunday.
MAR DEL PLATA, Argentina (CP) - Vancouver's Levon Kendall scored 15 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead Canada 79-74 over Australia for third place in basketball's under-21 world championship on Sunday.
In the gold-medal game, Lithuania beat Greece 65-63. Earlier, J.J. Redick scored a game-high 22 points to lead the United States over Argentina 111-85 for fifth place. Canada led 76-74 with 30 seconds remaining when Garry Gallimore of Ottawa secured the victory with three consecutive free throws.
"Obviously, it was a great game because we won," said Canadian head coach Dave Crook. "Australia has had a spectacular performance in this tournament, but today we defeated them.
"I always believed in our players, in their skills and their quality."
Brad Newley had 17 points for Australia, which finished 6-2.
"We faced Australia many times and we knew that they are a tough rival," Kendall. "Today we won because we played with energy and courage."
Vladimir Kuljanin of Toronto added 12 points and 10 rebounds for Canada.
Australia's coach, Benjamin Allen thought his team let Canada get too many breaks starting in the third quarter - and failed in its three-point shooting.
"We are disappointed because we had a great showing," Allen said. "We missed some decisive three-point shots."
Canada had lost to Australia in the qualifying round earlier this week after defeating them twice in July, including the championship game at the Jack Donohue International Classic in Mississauga, Ont.
In the U.S. victory, American Justin Gray also scored 16 points as the U.S. finished 7-1, its only loss in overtime to Canada in the quarterfinals on Friday when Kendall had a tournament-high 40 points.
The U.S. outrebounded Argentina 43-29 as the Americans shot more three-pointers and outmaneuvered the host while racing to a 61-29 halftime lead. Leonardo Mainoldi had 21 points for Argentina, which finished the tournament 5-3.
"We went all out from the beginning as we were trying to forget our disappointment over losing to Canada," U.S. Coach Phil Martelli said. "The key to winning this match was the first half."
Argentine Coach Gonzalo Garcia commented that the U.S. showed the kind of on-court toughness he expected of a team playing in the final.
"I can't explain how the U.S. didn't get to the final, but we ran up against a wall and we couldn't do anything," he said.
Earlier, Jesus Verdejo had 19 points to help Puerto Rico to an 86-77 victory over Slovenia for seventh place.
Twelve teams were to have competed in the tournament here in Mar del Plata, an Argentine South Atlantic beach resort. Iran pulled out just before the start because of Israel's participation.
Posted by admin at 03:35 PM | Comments (0)
August 10, 2005
Toronto Raptors open 2005-06 NBA season at home Nov. 2 against Washington
TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Raptors will tip off their 11th season on Nov. 2 against the Washington Wizards, the NBA team announced Monday.
Toronto will play five of its first six games at the Air Canada Centre.
It marks the eighth time in team history that the club has started the regular season at home. Toronto's road opener is Nov. 5 against the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons.
TORONTO (CP) - The Toronto Raptors will tip off their 11th season on Nov. 2 against the Washington Wizards, the NBA team announced Monday.
Toronto will play five of its first six games at the Air Canada Centre.
It marks the eighth time in team history that the club has started the regular season at home. Toronto's road opener is Nov. 5 against the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons.
Former Raptor Vince Carter and the New Jersey Nets will make two visits to Toronto this season, on Nov. 4 and Jan. 8. Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat will play at the Air Canada Centre on Nov. 20 and March 29. The defending champion San Antonio Spurs will make their only trip to Toronto on Feb. 8, and reigning league MVP Steve Nash of Victoria and the Phoenix Suns visit March 31.
The Raptors will have one five-game homestand this season (Jan. 29-Feb. 8) and two five-game road trips (Jan. 17-23, Feb. 13-27).
The Raptors missed the playoffs last season after finishing with a 33-49 record.
Posted by admin at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)
August 04, 2005
Free agent Stromile Swift says he'll sign with Houston Rockets
LEAGUE CITY, Texas (AP) - Stromile Swift will sign with the Houston Rockets early next week, the free agent said Saturday.
LEAGUE CITY, Texas (AP) - Stromile Swift will sign with the Houston Rockets early next week, the free agent said Saturday.
"I'm ready to get it over with," Swift said before playing in Tracy McGrady's celebrity softball tournament. "It will relieve a lot of pressure."
Swift's agent told several Houston media outlets on July 18 that the Rockets had reached a deal with the player, but free agents could not be signed until the NBA completed a new collective bargaining agreement. That agreement was signed early Saturday.
Swift said he's excited about playing for the Rockets.
"This is a great group of guys and I felt that this was the best situation for me," he said. "It was just really an easy decision. This is a good team and a good organization."
Swift, the No. 2 pick in the 2000 draft, spent the last five season with the Grizzlies, first in Vancouver and then in Memphis. The six-foot-10 player averaged more than 10 points and four rebounds last season.
Swift said McGrady and Rockets general manager Carroll Dawson played a role in helping him reach the decision. Dawson visited the player and at his family's home in Shreveport, La.
"T-Mac did a little bit of recruiting," Swift said. "That was pretty big for him to do that. That's the whole thing - to feel wanted in a situation."
McGrady said he looks forward to Swift joining the team.
"We're just going to bring his ability out because we're definitely going to challenge him every day," McGrady said.
Posted by admin at 07:46 PM | Comments (0)
June 26, 2005
2005 Award Winners
We nominated and you voted. As the season came to a close, NBA.com asked who you thought was most deserving for each of the six major regular-season awards. With your votes tabulated, we now turn to the official vote to see if the media agree with your chosen winners.
We nominated and you voted. As the season came to a close, NBA.com asked who you thought was most deserving for each of the six major regular-season awards. With your votes tabulated, we now turn to the official vote to see if the media agree with your chosen winners.
Heat center Shaquille O'Neal, Suns guard and reigning MVP Steve Nash, and Spurs forward Tim Duncan headline the All-NBA First Team, announced Wednesday, May 18. O'Neal topped the media voting with his 616 points; Nash received the second-highest support, with 606 points.
It's Duncan's eighth consecutive selection to the All-NBA First Team. Duncan is only the fifth player to make the All-NBA First Team in each of his first eight seasons, joining Hall of Famers Larry Bird, George Mikan, Bob Pettit and Oscar Robertson. Completing the First Team are Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki and Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson.
A week earlier, Pistons center Ben Wallace, who was recently named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year, led the voting for the 2004-05 NBA All-Defensive Teams, announced May 12. Wallace, making his fourth consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive First Team, is joined by Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves, two Spurs, Bruce Bowen and Duncan, and Larry Hughes of the Wizards.
After posting an NBA-best 62-20 regular-season record, the Phoenix Suns of course garnered their share of hardware. Nash capped off a memorable return to his original NBA team by being named the league's 2004-05 Most Valuable Player on May 8. The Canadian point man is the sixth guard and just the second international player (Hakeem Olajuwon, 1993-94, Nigeria) to receive the award.
In the fourth-closest voting margin since media began voting on the award in 1980-1981, Nash finished with 1,066 points, including 65 first-place votes. Miami's O'Neal was second with 1,032 points, including 58 first-place votes. Nowitzki, Duncan and Iverson placed third through fifth, respectively.
Meanwhile, the man running the Suns show from the sideline, Mike D'Antoni was awarded the Red Auerbach Trophy as 2004-05 NBA Coach of the Year on May 10. The second-year coach is the second Phoenix coach to garner the honor. The late Cotton Fitzsimmons won the award for the 1988-89 season.
Emeka Okafor may have been drafted second, but the Bobcats rookie was No. 1 among the media. Okafor was named the got milk? Rookie of the Year, receiving a total of 514 points, including 77 first-place votes out of a possible 126. Bulls guard Ben Gordon finished second with 443 points, including 43 first-place votes.
Okafor, Gordon and the Magic's Dwight Howard were unanimous selections to the got milk? NBA All-Rookie First Team. Andre Iguodala and Luol Deng of the Sixers and Bulls, respectively, round out the first team.
Gordon made it an awards three-point play by also becoming the first rookie to win the NBA Sixth Man Award. Gordon received 513 out of a possible 625 points, including 88 of a possible 125 first-place votes. Ricky Davis of the Celtics finished second with 257 points and Earl Boykins of the Nuggets finished third with 155 points.
While the Clippers didn't reach the postseason, they can boast an award winner as Bobby Simmons was named Most Improved Player for the 2004-05 season. The award recognizes a player who has made a dramatic improvement from the previous season or seasons. Simmons received a total of 384 points, including 59 first-pace votes, from a panel of 123 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada.
2005 AWARD WINNERS
Most Valuable Player
Fan: Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns (35.3%)
Official: Steve Nash, Phoenix
Suns.com: Nash Tribute
got milk? Rookie of the Year
Fan: Ben Gordon, Chicago (44.2%)
Official: Emeka Okafor, Charlotte
Bobcatsbasketball.com: got mek?
Defensive Player of the Year
Fan: Ben Wallace, Detroit (27.7%)
Official: Ben Wallace, Detroit
Sixth Man Award
Fan: Ben Gordon, Chicago (40.4%)
Official: Ben Gordon, Chicago
Bulls.com: Gordon's Sixth is a first
Most Improved Player
Fan: Dwyane Wade, Miami (43.5%)
Official: Bobby Simmons, L.A. Clippers
Clippers.com: Simmons is MIP
Coach of the Year
Fan: Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix (24.4%)
Official: Mike D'Antoni, Phoenix
Suns.com: D'Antoni Tribute
AWARDS SCHEDULE
Defensive Player: Ben Wallace
Sixth Man Award: Ben Gordon
got milk? Rookie: Emeka Okafor
Most Valuable Player: Steve Nash
Coach of the Year: Mike D'Antoni
Most Improved Player: Bobby Simmons
Kennedy Citzenship: Eric Snow
Announcement dates for the other regular season awards will be released on a week-by-week basis.
Posted by admin at 03:51 PM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2005
Celebration: SPURS!!!!! OFFICIAL WINNERS
The NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs got to celebrate their victory with the city today during the Championship Celebration. The team floated down the river lined with thousands of cheering fans before heading over to the packed Alamodome for the final rally.
The NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs got to celebrate their victory with the city today during the Championship Celebration. The team floated down the river lined with thousands of cheering fans before heading over to the packed Alamodome for the final rally.
Posted by admin at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
June 13, 2005
Robert Horry's hustle sets energetic tone for Spurs
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs have Robert Horry halfway to a sixth NBA championship ring. The 13-year forward put himself in some pretty impressive company.
Horry won two titles with the Houston Rockets in the mid-1990s and three with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02. He has never played in the final without winning the title.
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs have Robert Horry halfway to a sixth NBA championship ring. The 13-year forward put himself in some pretty impressive company.
Horry won two titles with the Houston Rockets in the mid-1990s and three with the Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02. He has never played in the final without winning the title.
The man known for making big three-pointers in late-game situations hit two from beyond the arc Sunday night in the Spurs' 97-76 victory over the Detroit Pistons in Game 2 on Sunday night. Those were the 41st and 42nd threes he hit in the final, tying him with Michael Jordan for the most in a career.
Horry led the Spurs in steals Sunday night with four, moving him past Julius Erving and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - and into a tie with Danny Ainge - for seventh on the all-time final list with 46.
In the second quarter, he showed his current teammates how much he wants that sixth ring.
He fought for a rebound early in the period and started a fast break that Tim Duncan finished with a layup to give the Spurs a 34-25 lead.
Horry, trailing on the break, then picked off Rasheed Wallace's inbounds pass and launched a three-pointer that was off the mark. Antonio McDyess got the rebound, but Horry stepped in front of the outlet pass for his second steal in an eight-second span.
Later in the quarter he made a three-pointer, fed Manu Ginobili for a 19-foot jumper and drove for a layup that put San Antonio up 51-33, the Spurs' biggest lead of the first half.
And in the final seconds of the second quarter, with his team still comfortably ahead, Horry made his third steal of the period. This time he dived to take the ball away from Chauncey Billups and quickly called a timeout to give the Spurs the final possession of the half, which ended with two free throws by Ginobili.
"Robert had a great first half. He looked like he was 26, 27," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of the 34-year-old. "He summons up the energy for that once in a while."
Horry made another three-pointer in the game's closing minutes and finished with 12 points, six rebounds, five assists and the four steals in 28 minutes.
Posted by admin at 06:43 PM | Comments (0)
June 02, 2005
PHOENIX (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs are excited to be going back to the NBA Finals.
They're even happier about not having to see Amare Stoudemire, Canadian Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns until next season. Tim Duncan had 31 points and 15 rebounds and the Spurs' defence keyed a game-changing 18-4 third-quarter run that gave them enough of a cushion to hold off Stoudemire and the Suns 101-95 on Wednesday night to end the Western Conference finals in five games.
They're even happier about not having to see Amare Stoudemire, Canadian Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns until next season. Tim Duncan had 31 points and 15 rebounds and the Spurs' defence keyed a game-changing 18-4 third-quarter run that gave them enough of a cushion to hold off Stoudemire and the Suns 101-95 on Wednesday night to end the Western Conference finals in five games.
The Spurs' victory also ended Nash's remarkable season.
The Victoria native and league MVP, who led the Suns to the NBA's best regular-season record in his first year with the club, had 21 points and 10 assists in Phoenix's final game.
Duncan's aching ankles and Manu Ginobili's bumps and bruises have a week to heal while San Antonio waits to find out whether it will next face Miami or Detroit. The Heat and Pistons are tied 2-2 with Game 5 on Thursday night in Miami. The final round will start June 9, and the Spurs, who won it all in 1999 and 2003, will be the home team regardless.
Although San Antonio won all three road games this series, it was never easy. Every game was within six points in the final minutes and most were closer than that thanks to Stoudemire averaging 37 points and Nash showing why he was the league's MVP.
"I am thrilled we don't have to play them again," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.
"We're just ecstatic to get out of this series," added Duncan.
Proving this wasn't the typical lip service winners offer losers, consider what two-time MVP Duncan said to the 22-year-old Stoudemire when they embraced after the buzzer.
"I just told him we had a great series and that I have no doubt we'll be back in this situation in the years to come," Duncan said.
Stoudemire scored 17 of his 42 points in the fourth quarter, several on the powerful slam dunks that have become his calling card, helping Phoenix trim a 13-point deficit to three with 2:45 left.
Stoudemire finished the series with the highest scoring average for a conference finals first-timer, breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's 35-year-old record by 2.8 points per game. His five straight 30-point games broke his own club playoff record and it made him the first Suns player to do that in any five games since Charles Barkley in March 1993.
"I grew a lot in this series," Stoudemire said.
Phoenix came into this season never expecting to still be playing in June after winning 29 games in 2003-04. But with an energetic offence, the Suns ran off the most points and most wins in the NBA and charged through the first two rounds. This was only the second time in 15 post-season games they failed to score 100 points, the other also against the Spurs.
Then again, that's what San Antonio does. This was the second straight season the Spurs allowed the fewest points in the NBA.
Everything starts with Duncan, though, and he took the Game 4 loss personally. After scoring just 15 points and missing nine free throws, he vowed to make up for it - and did, hitting six of his first seven shots and putting back the one he missed. He also had a tip-in with 2:12 left that made it 95-90, beginning the Spurs' closing push.
"I knew I'd put together a better performance than I did last time," he said. "I came in here to rectify that, whatever that may be. I wanted to give our team a chance to win and not be a hindrance."
With another loss, San Antonio would have been headed home for Game 6 with the Suns halfway to pulling off a comeback that's unprecedented in NBA history, but fresh in the minds of sports fans after the Boston Red Sox did it last October.
Phoenix was off to a good start, leading by one at halftime, and still up 52-51 a few possessions into the third quarter.
Then a dunk by Robert Horry gave the Spurs the lead. It also began a 6:30 stretch that ended with them up 69-56.
Along the way, the Suns had four turnovers (travelling by Nash, two lost balls by Stoudemire and a 24-second violation), Nash missed three shots, Stoudemire missed one and the flourish ended with Joe Johnson getting blocked twice.
The Spurs, meanwhile, had Tony Parker find his groove by hitting one of his trademark teardrop jumpers and two straight three-pointers. Duncan passed out of a double team to an open Bruce Bowen for a jumper, then - perhaps the best sign of all for the Spurs - Duncan made two free throws.
Duncan finished 14-of-24 from the field and 3-of-4 from the foul line, missing only his first one. It barely made it to the front rim, an ugly reminder of his 3-for-12 performance from the line in Game 4.
"Tim makes all those guys better," said Nash, who had 21 points and 10 assists. "He's a tremendous player, a team player, and a winner."
Ginobili had 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Parker scored 18, although he was 8-for-21.
Johnson, whose big performance in Game 4 was the Suns' biggest hope for coming back in the series, cooled off by shooting just 6-of-17 for 14 points. Unlike the last game, his presence didn't help open things up for Shawn Marion and Quentin Richardson. Marion had eight points and Richardson, who went down hard in the first half, was scoreless in 28 minutes.
Nash scored only three points in the second half.
Notes: The Suns became the 13th team to lose three straight home games in a post-season. Their '93 team that made the Finals also did it. ... With Phoenix out, the highest-scoring team will not win the title for the 49th time in the NBA's 59 seasons, and it'll be the 27th time the team with the best regular-season record doesn't win it all. ... San Antonio's Tony Massenburg got into the game for the first time this series with 2:53 left in the first half after Nazr Mohammed picked up his third foul. Massenburg has played a key role this series, though - he was Stoudemire's stand-in during practices.
Posted by admin at 03:53 PM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2005
With golden egg on its face, Marquette searches for new nickname
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was stumped, along with thousands of other outraged Marquette fans, students and alumni, when the university declared it was ditching the Golden Eagles moniker and forever burying the old Warriors nickname in favour of Gold.
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade was stumped, along with thousands of other outraged Marquette fans, students and alumni, when the university declared it was ditching the Golden Eagles moniker and forever burying the old Warriors nickname in favour of Gold.
What kind of name was that? And what kind of mascot could represent an inert metal?
There's never been a gold rush in Milwaukee, unless you count the colour of the suds that flow from the city's breweries.
Gold? Instead of digging it, the public panned it.
Critics said it was a symbol of greed that conflicted with the school's Jesuit principles. They called it uninspired, unnecessary, unacceptable.
It made the school a laughingstock.
Wade, who led Marquette to the 2003 Final Four, called the campus to get an explanation. He wasn't satisfied to hear the decision was handed down out of the blue by a 38-member board of trustees that got together to reconsider the school's decision to drop Warriors in the early 1990s.
"I'll always be known as a Golden Eagle," Wade insisted. "And the people before me, they'll always be known as the Warriors. And the new class coming in, unfortunately, they're always going to be known as 'The Gold.'
Not anymore.
The nickname lasted barely a week before the school made a stunning about-face.
After getting hammered by more than 4,000 e-mails and countless phone calls, on the airwaves and across the Internet, the red-faced trustees met in emergency session and reversed field.
While still insisting that Warriors was out, in part because of the name's connection to the cartoonish Willie Wampum mascot of the 1960s, the board decided to put the issue into the hands of students, faculty, staff and some 100,000 alumni worldwide via Internet voting next week.
The list of 10 names is being finalized, but four former school nicknames - Golden Eagles, Golden Avalanche, Hilltoppers and Blue and Gold - will be among the choices. Write-in votes will be allowed, but Warriors votes will be discarded.
The top two finishers will be put up for another vote in mid-June and the winning moniker - the school's fourth nickname in 11 years - will be announced by July 1, when the school joins the reconfigured Big East Conference.
The outcry over the university's nickname started a year ago at graduation when two trustees offered the school $1 million US each to go back to Warriors, which it dropped in favour of Golden Eagles because the name and logo offended some American Indian groups.
Among those advocating a return to Warriors - a nickname used by 27 universities across the country, including Wisconsin Lutheran College in Milwaukee - was university President Robert A. Wild.
In conversations with American Indian tribes and bands over the last year, however, Wild realized it was impossible to divorce the nickname from its ugly past.
"We're dealing with a human dignity issue, and that's real basic stuff for a Catholic and Jesuit university," Wild said.
He believes much of the firestorm over the Gold nickname grew out of anger from those who supported a return to Warriors. Many alumni across the country still think of themselves as Warriors - 92 per cent of them, according to an online survey conducted by the university.
At a rally after Gold was announced as the new nickname, one student held a sign that read: "Exodus 15:3: 'The Lord is a warrior."'
When trustees realized that Warriors wasn't going to make a comeback, they decided to ditch Golden Eagles, too.
"It seemed like a bright idea at the time," Wild said. "When we saw where we were headed with Warriors, we said, 'Look at what Syracuse has done. They went from Orangemen to Orange. Hey, one of our oldest traditions really has been our school colors, blue and gold.' We had the Golden Eagles. We had the Golden Avalanche when we had a football team. We tried to tap into that."
It turned out to be fool's gold.
Wild said he didn't think alumni would withhold donations to the university and he insisted the school won't have golden egg on its face for long.
"This is a blip on the radar screen," he suggested. "The board of trustees had the good sense to say, 'All right, clearly the alumni were affected. Let's move on.' That's what we're trying to do."
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April 05, 2005
North Carolina Wins NCAA Championship
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April 04, 2005
Last chance to bet on NCAA!
Well it's the finals, and the last chance you have to place a bet on NCAA march madness... for this year!
See the sports betting odds here!
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March 22, 2005
Sweet 16 betting lines
NCAA march madness is going well! We are up to sweet sixteen, and there HAVE been some major upsets.
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March 03, 2005
March Madness at Maxim!
Read all about it here!
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Shaq is back
MIAMI (AP) -- Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal returned to practice Tuesday, one week after spraining his left knee in an awkward tumble against the Chicago Bulls.
O'Neal, who missed all but the first two minutes of that Bulls game and was held out of Miami's next three contests, said he plans to play on Thursday when the Heat visit New Jersey.
"I went through the whole practice," O'Neal said. "It was good."
O'Neal is averaging 22.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.5 blocks this season, and has an NBA-leading field-goal percentage of 59.9.
Miami went 2-2 in the four games where it was essentially without O'Neal, losing in overtime to the Bulls and Indiana on the road, then sweeping a weekend home-and-home with Orlando.
"He looked fine," Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said after Tuesday's two-hour workout. "He always looks pretty good when he plays."
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March 02, 2005
Kobe settles with women he was accused of raping
Kobe Bryant has agreed in principle to a settlement with the woman who accused him of sexual assault, sources told ABC News on Tuesday.
The NBA star was scheduled to give a deposition Friday, but when that was postponed, speculation arose that a settlement was in the works.
A deposition by the 20-year-old woman scheduled for Wednesday was also canceled, the Los Angeles Times reported in Wednesday's editions.
The parties were to meet and could have a signed agreement by the end of the week, ABC News reported.
The Lakers refused to comment.
L. Lin Wood and John Clune, attorneys for the 20-year-old accuser, were going to question Bryant on Friday, but Wood said Monday that the session was called off after his team arrived in Orange County, Calif., for the meeting.
The deposition -- where attorneys question a party to a lawsuit before trial, without a judge present -- would have been the first time Bryant had spoken under oath about what happened.
Wood declined further comment. Clune and Bryant's lead attorney Pamela Mackey did not immediately return calls.
"It sounds like somebody's talking numbers," said veteran plaintiff's attorney Mel Hewitt of Atlanta told The Associated Press on Monday. "We do that in a lot of cases. We'll push for the deposition knowing they don't want to talk to us and hopefully that makes somebody want to drag their checkbook out."
He said the deposition might also have been postponed for a simpler reason, such as an illness.
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March 01, 2005
Chaney to sit out A-10 tourney
John Chaney extended his own suspension by banning himself from the Temple sidelines for the Atlantic 10 tournament.
The Hall of Famer continued a week of apologies and punishments Monday when he announced he won't return after the school's three-game suspension ends with the close of the regular season.
``I believe the fair thing is for me not to coach during the Atlantic 10 championship tournament in Cincinnati,'' the 73-year-old Chaney said in a statement.
Chaney first suspended himself for one game and then had the school extend it to three games over his ordering rough play from one of his players in a recent game that resulted in an injury to senior John Bryant of Saint Joseph's.
If the Owls reach the A-10 championship game, there's a chance they could play the Hawks again.
``Now, when we go to our championship, it will be one less distraction,'' Atlantic 10 commissioner Linda Bruno said Monday.
Maybe, but Chaney vs. the Hawks seems far from over. Saint Joseph's officials have refused to comment, only offering a tersely worded statement Saturday that said ``a line was crossed.''
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Phil Martelli, the quick-quipped Hawks coach, has refused to comment and declined to participate in Monday's A-10 coaches' teleconference -- the same one on which Chaney last week threatened to take action if the Hawks continued setting what he thought were illegal screens.
Chaney followed through on his threat, using Nehemiah Ingram to ``send a message.'' Ingram fouled out in four minutes, including the hit on Bryant that left the senior sprawled on the court for several minutes. An MRI later revealed he had a broken arm that ended his season and college career.
Chaney had apologized to Bryant and his family and offered to pay his medical bills. Chaney on Monday apologized again in a statement to Bryant, both schools and the conference.
``Last week, my words and actions were wrong, wrong, wrong,'' he said.
``I never intended -- nor did any of my players intend -- for anyone to be injured, regardless of what may have been said emotionally before, during and after the game,'' Chaney said. ``But the unfortunate fact is that John Bryant was injured. I have taken full responsibility for my words and actions, and have apologized from my heart.''
Bruno said there were no plans to take action against Ingram, who apologized after Saturday's game.
``You just have a young man that was following what a coach told him to do,'' she said. ``(Chaney) didn't tell him to break a young man's arm, but he told him to issue hard fouls. We felt he was in a game situation and doing what he was told to do.''
Chaney is still coaching the Owls at practice, though he won't attend any of their games. Assistant Dan Leibovitz is coaching the team.
The Owls (14-11, 10-6) clinched a tie for second place in the Atlantic 10 East Division. A Temple win or a Fordham loss will earn the Owls a first-round bye in the conference tournament.
A Temple spokesman did not know if Chaney would be allowed to coach in the postseason. The Owls could earn an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament by winning the A-10 title. Even if the Owls lost their last three games, they would finish with a .500 record and be eligible for the NIT.
Bruno said it would be up to Chaney or Temple to decide if the coach should continue in the postseason.
Chaney avoids another distraction in returning to Cincinnati for the conference tournament. Last month, Chaney scolded the people of Ohio, the state that helped President Bush win re-election with 20 electoral votes, saying, ``It's not the people I hate, it's what they did that I hate.''
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February 25, 2005
Shaq gone?
MIAMI HEAT - *Center Shaquille O'Neal (knee) is expected to miss Wednesday's game against Indiana. Forwards Dorrell Wright (tendinitis), Qyntel Woods (knee) and Christian Laettner (foot) are on the injured list. (news from sports network)
Actually, he's not gone for the rest of the season... Or is he? Alot of talks about him missing more than one game! Might have a huge impact on the rest of the season.
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February 17, 2005
NBA all stars 2005!
Yao, Shaq Lead All-Star Starters
Centers Yao Ming and Shaquille O'Neal lead a stellar list of 10 players selected by fans the world over as starters for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game in Denver on Feb. 20 (8 p.m. ET, TNT). Yao and O'Neal each surpassed the all-time single season record for votes, while Grant Hill returns to the starting lineup and LeBron James makes his first-ever All-Star team.
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February 04, 2005
Yao Leads All Players in Voting
NEW YORK, February 3 – Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets and Shaquille O’Neal of the Miami Heat both eclipsed the all-time single season record for votes received in the NBA All Star Balloting program that determines starters for the 2005 NBA All Star Game. Yao received the most votes (2,558,278) in NBA history while O’Neal collected the second-highest total with 2,488,089 votes as each earned the starting center spot in their respective conference.
Through the 2005 All-Star Balloting program, NBA fans from around the globe were responsible for voting in the starters for the 54th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played in Denver on Sunday, February 20 at Pepsi Center. More than six million ballots were cast, a 14 percent increase from last year’s totals.
The game will be broadcast live on TNT, Rogers Sportsnet, ESPN Radio and audio in several languages on NBA.com (http://nba.com) at 8 p.m. (EST).
Yao is joined in the Western Conference starting lineup by Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett (2,087,200) and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan (1,812,522) at forward and Rockets teammate Tracy McGrady (1,993,687) and Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (1,815,952) at guard.
Through the 2005 All-Star Balloting program, NBA fans from around the globe were responsible for voting in the starters for the 54th NBA All-Star Game, which will be played in Denver on Sunday, February 20 at Pepsi Center. More than six million ballots were cast, a 14 percent increase from last year’s totals.
The game will be broadcast live on TNT, Rogers Sportsnet, ESPN Radio and audio in several languages on NBA.com (http://nba.com) at 8 p.m. (EST).
Yao is joined in the Western Conference starting lineup by Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett (2,087,200) and San Antonio’s Tim Duncan (1,812,522) at forward and Rockets teammate Tracy McGrady (1,993,687) and Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (1,815,952) at guard.
O’Neal is joined in the Eastern Conference starting lineup by New Jersey’s Vince Carter (1,803,529) and Orlando’s Grant Hill (1,497,489) at forward and by Cleveland’s LeBron James (1,661,204) and Philadelphia’s Allen Iverson (1,590,400) at guard.
The 30 head coaches will vote for the remaining members of the All-Star teams in their respective conferences, and their selections will be announced on Tuesday, February 8. Coaches must vote for seven players in order of preference but are not allowed to vote for players from their team. The selections must include two guards, two forwards and a center. Two other players are chosen regardless of position. Also, if any player cannot participate in the All-Star Game, NBA Commissioner David Stern will select a replacement after the coaches select reserves.
Stan Van Gundy of the Miami Heat will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars and at this time the coach for the Western Conference All-Stars has not been determined. Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning percentage in each conference following the Sunday games (February 6) played two weeks prior to the All-Star Game with San Antonio’s (37-10, .787) Gregg Popovich and Phoenix’s Mike D’Antoni (37-11, .771) the leading candidates.
For the third consecutive year, NBA All-Stars will wear uniforms created just for the game. This year’s All-Stars will be outfitted in new uniforms from Reebok which were inspired by the Denver Nuggets uniform design. The West will wear white jerseys and the East will wear blue while the shorts will feature a star encapsulated NBA logo on each side, a conference logo on the waistband and a “05DN” wordmark on the center back which represents 2005 Denver.
Through the 2005 NBA All-Star Balloting program, which ran from November 18, 2004 through January 23, 2005, fans had the opportunity to vote in more ways than ever. The balloting program expanded to include 19 languages on the NBA.com Network, downloadable ballots via Verizon Wireless and approximately 150 Loews Cineplex Entertainment movie theaters in the United States. This year, Twentieth Century Fox joined Sprite, America Online, Reebok and approximately 2,100 Foot Locker and Champs Sports stores in the United States and Canada as All-Star balloting partners. Ballots were also distributed in all 29 NBA arenas and all six NBDL arenas.
NBA All-Star 2005 is a week-long celebration that enables fans to experience the thrill of the world’s greatest athletes playing the game they love and features a full slate of community enhancing activities and fan festivals.
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December 20, 2004
He's Making a List ...
Baron Davis fulfilled kids' wish lists Wednesday by providing toys and gifts for seven New Orleans families at a holiday luncheon hosted by The Baron Davis Foundation and Café Reconcile. (NBAE Photos)
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November 18, 2004
Magic remain unbeaten at home
Steve Francis poured in a season-high 33 points, handed out 11 assists and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Orlando Magic past the Utah Jazz, 107-92, at TD Waterhouse Centre.
It marked Hill's first 30-point game since 2000...Utah suffered just its second loss in eight games this season...The Jazz have still captured six of the last 10 meetings between the two teams...Raja Bell contributed 10 points and eight rebounds for Utah...Orlando center Kelvin Cato made his first appearance in four games since spraining his right ankle and finished with nine points, six rebounds and three blocks. Meanwhile, Magic guard Cuttino Mobley missed his fourth straight game with a strained groin.
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